It really depends on what you're doing. If you simply want a computer that's convenient for programming, a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B is about $34 and is easily set up with Raspbian, which comes preloaded with many tools. There are other types of fruitily named Pis such as the Orange Pi or the Banana Pi which are all useful for different purposes. The most recent of these single-board computers is the ASUS Tinker Board, although I haven't had a chance to try it out yet.

If you're looking to write something a bit more graphics heavy or intensive, it really depends on what you're trying to do. Unless you're trying to make a particularly large game, there's no real need to build a PC for it.

It really depends on what you're doing. If you simply want a computer that's convenient for programming, a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B is about $34 and is easily set up with Raspbian, which comes preloaded with many tools.

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Unless you're trying to make a particularly large game, there's no real need to build a PC for it.

I disagree. I would imagine programming on the same platform you wish to develop for is beneficial. If ciavelillse wants to create Windows programs, but lacks a Windows PC (e.g. posting this from a iPod or Android Phone) then a Raspberry Pi isn't really going to do them any good in the long run.

There are Mini PC's one can buy for about $200 that can run Windows. You'll need to buy other accessories such as a monitor, mouse, and keyboard if you don't already have those. You could even use an existing TV. Don't expect the most responsive system from them but it's a great budget setup for programming.

There are two types of people in the world: those who can extrapolate data from incomplete data

If you already own an iPad thatís not too old, you can buy the app Codea for about $10 to $15. It uses the language Lua which is similar to C and not that hard to learn. Once you learn a little Lua youíll be able to write simple games. With more experience the games can get more complex. You have control of the graphics (each pixel), so you can do a lot of animation. Do a search on the App Store for Codea and see some examples.